\u00a0<\/p> Raj Khosla was Guru Dutt\u2019s chief assistant. And Narendra was his second assistant. At one point Guru felt benevolent towards Narendra and assigned a film\u2019s direction to him. The story was to be an adaptation of Wilkie Collins\u2019\u00a0The Woman in White<\/em>. It was written in 1860 and 95 years later Guru asked me to write a screenplay based on it.<\/p> I suddenly recalled that in my childhood I had seen an advertisement for a novel titled\u00a0Neel Basana Sundari<\/em>\u00a0(The Lady in Blue) in P M Bagchi\u2019s almanac that was common in most Bengali households. I am certain that too was derived from\u00a0The Woman in White<\/em>.<\/p> Within two months I completed the script. Guru liked it. Within ten days the casting of artistes for each character was finalized. Guru Dutt was to lead the cast with Waheeda Rehman opposite him. The shooting was to take place in Shimla.<\/p> After three months of shooting Narendra returned with the entire team. After seeing the rushes Guru announced that the film will not be completed.<\/p> Never mind. I had got Rs 3000 for scripting it.<\/p> *****<\/p> About a year later I was visiting Guru\u2019s residence in Pali Hill. There I found him in a heated argument with Shaheed Latif, the highly successful director of Bombay Talkies\u2019\u00a0Ziddi<\/em>\u00a0(1948) and\u00a0Arzoo<\/em>\u00a0(1950), and Agha Jani Kashmiri, the renowned writer of\u00a0Kismet<\/em>\u00a0(1943) and \u2014 later \u2014\u00a0Mujhe Jeene Do\u00a0<\/em>(1963).<\/p> Suddenly Guru\u2019s eyes fell on me. He spoke to me, \u201cWe are differing in our opinions about a situation \u2014 we would like you to give your opinion\u2026\u201d<\/p> I looked at Shaheed and Agha Jani, \u201cDo I have your consent to give my opinion?\u201d<\/p> I had known Shaheed Latif. Both of them spoke in unison, \u201cYes, Nabendu Babu, please voice your opinion about it.\u201d<\/p> I don\u2019t quite remember the situation now but I did give my opinion. Guru liked my resolution. And, if I may add, it pleased Shaheed Latif and Agha Jani too.<\/p> At once, Guru proposed, \u201cShaheed ji, I have a request. I would like Nabendu Babu to write the script for this film and Agha Jani Saab to write the dialogues.\u201d<\/p> Shaheed looked at Agha Jani. He said, \u201cI have no objection.\u201d<\/p> Guru said, \u201cAgha Jani Saab dialogue\u00a0likhenge<\/em>, he will write the dialogues!\u201d<\/p> Shaheed enthusiastically responded, \u201cSo be it. It will be done.\u201d<\/p> From that very day I got busy scripting another film. For director Shaheed Latif. To be produced by Guru Dutt. It was titled\u00a0Chaudhvin ka Chand<\/em>.<\/p> I completed writing the script to everybody\u2019s satisfaction. Then began the chapter of casting.<\/p> Two months later I learnt that great differences had cropped up between the producer and the director and the project had got derailed. Shaheed Latif bade goodbye, holding my hand in his, with these words: \u201cHope I will be able to make a film with your script sometime in the future.\u201d<\/p> Such a soft spoken gentleman was the husband of the rebellious (daaksaitey<\/em>) Urdu writer Ismat Chughtai.<\/p> However, a year later Guru Dutt announced a film titled\u00a0Chaudhvin ka Chand<\/em>. No no, it was not the film I had scripted \u2014 it was based on a story idea of a director named Sadiq. He had met Guru and narrated an idea that Guru liked. At once, he gave the responsibility of directing it to Sadiq. This film got made and when it released, it proved a big hit.<\/p> Guru\u2019s fame and fortune kept rising. He became part owner of Mohan Studio.<\/p> After some time I got another call. Bimal Mitra\u2019s famous 1953 novel Saheb Bibi Golam<\/em>\u00a0was extremely popular when it was filmed in Bengali (1956). Now Guru was all set to make it in Hindi. He had procured a print of the Bengali movie and watched it \u2014 now he wanted me to watch it as well.<\/p> I went over, and found Sachin (Dev Burman) Karta had also been invited. The next day Guru asked me to write the screenplay. How much would he pay? \u201cYou quote your price,\u201d Guru said.<\/p> At that point of time, I was getting Rs 15,000 for each screenplay. But since Guru Dutt was a precious name both as a producer and director, I lowered the amount and asked for Rs 10,000.<\/p> Guru knitted his brow and said, \u201cT-e-n thousand! Why should I not get Bimal (Mitra) Da to write?\u201d<\/p> Immediately I felt my blood course all the way up to my head. Smarting from the insult, I said, \u201cDo that Dutt Saheb, his right is certainly greater than mine since he is the creator of the great novel.\u201d<\/p> I left right away. Later I found that he had disagreed with Sachin Karta too over his rate.<\/p> Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam\u00a0<\/em>(1962) had an exquisite performance by Meena Kumari in a role in which Sumitra Devi had set a benchmark of excellence in Bengali.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> *****<\/p> \u00a0<\/strong><\/p> Two years passed. Then I received another call. I went over.<\/p> \u201cNabendu Babu, this time I am making a Bengali movie.\u201d<\/p> Recalling his command over the language I said, \u201cYou have the right to do so, so this is good news.\u201d<\/p> \u201cThen you must write the script.\u201d<\/p> \u201cStory?\u201d<\/p> \u201cIt\u2019s a story by Kidar Sharma ji.\u201d Kidar Sharma had started with New Theatres. He was the lyricist of Sehgal\u2019s song in\u00a0Devdas<\/em>\u00a0(1936),\u00a0Dukh ke din bitat naahin,\u00a0<\/em>among others, and he acted too. Later he came to Bombay, and produced and directed landmark movies like\u00a0Neel Kamal<\/em>\u00a0(1947) and\u00a0Jogan<\/em>\u00a0(1950). He was much respected by stars like Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Madhubala, Bharat Bhushan, Mala Sinha, Geeta Bali and Tanuja \u2014 all of whom he gave breaks in Hindi films.<\/p> He had made the film years ago from a Tamil story which went thus:<\/p> The hero is a clay artist living in a village away from Calcutta. Every year he crafts the Durga idol for a zamindar living in the city. This year again he does so and earns much money and acclaim. He is accompanied by a friend who has a modest hair cutting saloon in the village. This friend takes him on a tour of the city and at night he drags him to a red light area. There the barber enters the room of one of the ladies. Our hero had no taste for such liaison. He wanders around and chances upon a girl forcibly detained in a tiny room.<\/p> This girl is yet to be inducted into the profession \u2014 in fact she has been imprisoned because she is resisting the plight.<\/p> The hero is attracted to the girl and decides to liberate her. He meets the Madame, pays a hefty amount for the girl and sets out for the village with her. On the way back, he stops at a temple and urges the priest to marry them as per the rituals. Then he takes home his newly wedded wife. At home he has no relatives other than his widowed mother. She is taken aback but she accepts the bride as her daughter-in-law.<\/p> Soon the word spreads through the village. Two days later, the barber friend comes home for a couple of days. On hearing about his friend\u2019s marriage, he comes to meet the bride. He realises that this is the same girl from the red light area who had been imprisoned and within an hour the entire village is agog with this news. A group of highly irate young men raid the house. When our hero protests, a brawl ensues. He is hurt and a massive punch leaves him unconscious.<\/p> While he is still senseless, his furious mother drives the girl out of their house. When he regains consciousness, he gets to know what has transpired. He sets out in search of his wife. Not finding her anywhere in the village, he goes to Calcutta. There too, his search proves futile.<\/p> The heroine, fortunately, finds shelter with a compassionate elderly citizen and starts living like his daughter.<\/p> A year passes by. It is autumn once more and the drumbeats bring to life the festival season. Like every other year, our hero erects the idol of the ten-armed goddess Durga.<\/p> Meanwhile, the heroine has contracted tuberculosis. The aged samaritan leaves no stone unturned in her treatment. He also takes her out for Devi Darshan, in the course of which they visit the zamindar\u2019s house. There, standing before the idol, she is startled to see that the goddess has six instead of the usual five toes on her right foot. She concludes that this idol has been crafted by her husband. Because? She has the same feature, and her husband had lovingly caressed that extra toe.<\/p> On asking around she realises she had correctly surmised: he is indeed the artist of the clay idol. But still they are not fated to meet. On the day of Dashami, when the clay idol is being immersed in the waters of the Ganges, her pyre is being set alight in the cremation ground on the banks.<\/p> Heart rending story. Sachin Karta had shed tears even as he listened to the narration.<\/p> Who would play the lead roles? Guru Dutt would, of course, be the hero and the heroine? Guru\u2019s captivating wife, the enchanting singer Geeta. Yes, because one day she had confronted her husband about his enchantment with Waheeda Rehman. \u201cWhy do you go on and on about Waheeda? I can be just as good an actress. Am I any less than her in looks?\u201d This grievance had pierced the flinty heart of her husband and so he has decided to cast her in the eponymous role of\u00a0Gauri.<\/em><\/p> *****<\/p> So I wrote the screenplay. Everybody liked it. Renowned lyricist Gouriprasanna Majumdar came down from Calcutta,\u00a0 camped in Bombay for a month and wrote five songs for the film. Sachin Karta set them to tune. This famous song was recorded:<\/p> Banshi shuney aar kaaj nai,\u00a0<\/em> Banshi shuney aar kaaj nai<\/em><\/strong> (Gauri<\/em>) Sachin Dev Burman \/ Gouriprasanna Majumdar \/ Sachin Dev Burman<\/span><\/p>![\"Nabendu](\"https:\/\/dev.learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/Nabendu-Ghosh-screenplay-writer.jpg\")
PART \u2013 3<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"chaudhvin](\"https:\/\/dev.learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/03\/chaudhvin-ka-chand.jpg\")
![\"meena](\"https:\/\/dev.learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/07\/meena-kumari-in-sahib-biwi-aur-ghulam.jpg\")
<\/h3>
PART 4<\/strong><\/h3>
![\"Geeta](\"https:\/\/dev.learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Geeta-Dutt-in-Gauri.png\")
\nShey je dakatiya banshi<\/em>
\nShey je din dupurey churi karey<\/em>
\nRaattire toh katha nai,<\/em>
\ndakatiya banshi<\/em><\/p>